Summer has semi-officially come to an end, but before it did, we got to celebrate it with a night in all-white for Diner en Blanc.

If you haven’t heard of Diner en Blanc, it started with one man in Paris who wanted to have a dinner party, but his apartment was too small. So he told his friends to meet in a park later that night and to wear all white, so they could all find each other easily.

Thus started the tradition of Diner en Blanc, the world’s largest secret dinner party. It started in Paris, but continues all across the world. Everyone has continued the strict all-white outfit requirement and invitations are scarcely released…but if you signed up, and get that lucky invite, don’t hesitate! It’s worth all the crazy requirements, trust me.

My first stop after booking our tickets was Rent the Runway. First, I visited online to I could browse a few styles, then I made an appointment in-store to try on a few! If we're besties on instagram, you may have seen a few of the top contenders - but this Alexis beauty one won by a landslide!

I mentioned this last year, but I can’t express enough how great their “Try-on Appointment” is. Honestly, worth every penny. I had Sam from the Georgetown location help me out, and she was THE BEST. Not only does she have impeccable style herself, but she was honest about which dresses looked best on me, and reminded me of things I would have never considered…like the movability, breathability and ideas on the perfect accessories.

So when the day came for the event, I was ready. We gathered our picnics, and headed to our pre-determined meeting location…still unknowing of where we’d be dining that evening. But once our group arrived, we all started the 10-block walk to our surprise destination. Once we arrived, we all set up our picnics with some of the nation’s most incredible views of the Lincoln Memorial!

We mingled with new friends, enjoyed our meals, snapped a thousand (or so) photos, walked around the Lincoln Memorial barefoot after dark (HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS, FRIENDS) and danced the night away…the perfect way to end a very successful summer.

I’ll leave you with a few important tips about Diner en Blanc:

1. Wear a comfortable, danceable dress.This Alexis beauty was not only flattering, but also super comfortable. It was stretchy and long enough that I didn’t have to worry about it moving around in unwelcome ways if you get my drift.

2. Pack the night beforeI laid out my clothing and packed up the plates, table cloth and glasses the night before. No last-minute trying to find the items we’d need this year, no siree.

2. Carry your items in a mobile folding cartLast year we tried to carry our stuff in a cute picnic basket. NOT THIS YEAR, FRIENDS. One long trip on the metro carrying ALL OUR STUFF followed by a a treacherous walk to the destination convinced me that there had to be a better way. So I bought this mobile folding cart and the trip was seamless.

4. Pack a light mealLast year, we loaded up on the carbs…but this year, we kept things much more simple…for carrying purposes and also to make sure we weren’t too stuffed for dancing. ;) I made a whole-wheat angel hair pasta with zucchini and a ricotta cheese spread, while Alicia brought strawberries, grapes, cheese and a baguette.

5. Order boxed flowersI can’t tell you how many times I watched someone drop their vase of flowers, or pull out a broken vase from their bag at the event last year. LESSON LEARNED. So I brought two boxes of white roses from my friends over at The Flower Luxe, and shared one box with a couple who’d broken theirs...

6. Ladies, pack flats.One thing to not forget? A pair of flats or sandals for walking to the dining location and for dancing. YOUR FEET WILL THANK YOU.

7. Have a safe way to get home post-partyFriends, you know as well as I that wine can catch up to you faster than a cheetah after a gazelle. BE SAFE and have a plan to get home that doesn’t involve driving.